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The public, as well as elementary students, will be host to HawkQuest and its raptors at SCORE (Science Camps Offer Rewarding Experiences) camp in Imperial, Neb. this June.

HawkQuest is a Colorado nonprofit organization that educates the public about, while interacting with, its eagles, owls, falcons and hawks at close range.

“Our message concerning the importance of biodiversity, of the finality of extinction and of man’s need to nurture his world is interwoven with discussions of the raptors’ place in our ecosystem,” HawkQuest states.

Master falconer and long-time environmental educator Kin Quitugua founded HawkQuest in 1986. He will be bringing his program to the SCORE summer camp.

“Birds of Prey” will be offered as an outreach program, free and open to the public, Wednesday, June 12 at 5 p.m. at Chase County Schools in Imperial.

The one-hour program includes a Bald or a Golden eagle, an owl, a falcon and features a free-flying hawk.

The audience will learn about the importance of different raptor species, their specially-adapted tools and their role in our ecosystems.

“HOOT,” or Hands On Owl Teaching, will be presented Thursday, June 13 to students in grades 3-4 at the Champion, Neb. Community Center.

The program brings three live owls to the students, allowing them to study the birds up close.

HOOT enables young people to understand the necessary role of the owl as predator in its natural habitat.

SCORE brochures have been distributed to each student in Chase, Dundy and Perkins counties in Nebraska. Brochures may also be picked up at area businesses or downloaded from the SCORE website at www.scorecamp.com.

Parents may also register their child online. Camps tend to fill up quickly, so early registration is suggested to secure a spot in camp.

A list of camp times and other outreach programs is found in the brochure or online.